England ‘Golden Generation’ manager rank: Man Utd, Liverpool & Chelsea greats rated as Rooney exits Birmingham

Rooney’s arrival at St Andrew’s had brought about great optimism with fans. Owners Tom Brady, Tom Wagner and Gary Cook hoped he would be the man to take the club back into the promised land of the Premier League when he replaced John Eustace in October.

As an ex-England and Manchester United captain with bags of success and experience in his playing days - Rooney was a big name, but so far he has struggled to translate his playing experience into the world of football management.

Rooney is one of nine members of England’s ‘Golden Generation’ to try their hand in the world of football management, but how does he compare to his Euro 2004 and World Cup 2006 team mates in terms of managerial success.

9. David James (Kerala Blasters) 

David James was a more senior member of England’s 'Golden Generation' and he made a total of 53 appearances for the Three Lions whilst competing with Paul Robinson, Rob Green and David Seaman.

His 26 year playing career ended in India with Kerala Blasters and after a brief spell as player-manager in 2014, he returned for a second stint in charge in 2017.

Overall, James had a win record of just 25% in the Indian league and has not returned to management since 2018.

8. Paul Scholes (Oldham Athletic, Salford City caretaker)

Paul Scholes retired from international football in 2004 in a bid to prolong his career at Manchester United. Scholes was one of the best central midfielders of his generation, but many were surprised to see him enter the world of management with Oldham Athletic due to his ownership of Salford City and his quiet personality.

Scholes was limited in what he could do at Oldham due to ownership issues. He managed to win just one of his seven games before resigning in 2019. He has served as caretaker manager of Salford and won two of his five games in charge.

7. Gary Neville (Valencia)

Gary Neville was a tireless defender who formed part of the backbone of Sir Alex Ferguson’s defence for the best part of two decades. Neville was seen as a leader with a great work ethic, but little of this translated into the world of football management when he took on the Valencia job.

Overall, Neville won just three of his 16 league games in charge as his team fell from ninth to 14th in the table. Neville’s saving grace was his run to the Copa Del Rey semi-finals although that ended in catastrophe as his side suffered a 7-0 defeat to Barcelona.

Since then he has gone on to establish himself as a leading pundit with Sky Sports alongside his former nemesis Jamie Carragher.

6. Sol Campbell (Macclesfield Town and Southend United)

Sol Campbell was one of the finest Premier League defenders of his era and part of the invincible Arsenal team of 2004. However, he has struggled to make his mark in management so far. His first role at Macclesfield Town earned him plaudits as he inherited a team five points adrift of safety and steered them to survival.

Campbell returned to management in League Two with Southend and again took on a team under financial constraints. He lasted six months and recorded just four wins in 23 matches in charge.

5. Phil Neville (England Women, Inter Miami and Portland Timbers)

On this occasion, Phil tops his brother Gary, but only by the slightest of margins.

Phil Neville was a dependable and versatile player who captained Everton for several seasons after his trophy laden stint at Manchester United.

Neville led England Women to a World Cup semi-final in his first job in management but form dropped after the tournament as the Lionesses lost seven of his final 11 games. An unsuccessful two and half year stint at Inter Miami followed and Neville is now aiming to bounce back as manager of Portland Timbers in the MLS.

4. Wayne Rooney (Derby County, DC United and Birmingham City)

Wayne Rooney’s managerial reputation has been tarnished in recent months by his poor form at Birmingham City and his stint as DC United boss.

Rooney’s saving grace in this list is his time as Derby County boss and despite suffering relegation with the Rams he is credited with a strong performance as manager.

Overall, his side suffered a combined 21 points worth of deductions in the 2021/22 season, but still managed to avoid finishing bottom. His team finished in 23rd place with 14 wins and 13 draws from 46 matches - which would have been enough for them to finish 17th if it wasn’t for deductions.

3. Frank Lampard (Derby County, Chelsea (twice), Everton)

Frank Lampard’s career in management has been a tail of two halves so far. Starting at Derby County in 2018, he is credited with guiding the Rams to the Championship play-off final, only to suffer a narrow 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa.

Such form earned him the Chelsea job where he successfully steered the team to a Champions League finish despite the loss of Eden Hazard and a transfer embargo. Since 2020, Lampard’s managerial career has unravelled - he was sacked as Chelsea boss six months into his second season and struggled at Everton - winning just 12 of his 44 games in charge.

A second brief stint at Chelsea followed, but he was unable to revive the fortunes of his former club - winning just one of 11 games.

2. Michael Carrick (Middlesborough) 

It is early days still for Michael Carrick in his managerial career, but thus far he has made a strong impression as Middlesbrough boss since his arrival in October 2022. Carrick inherited a team that was just a point above the relegation places and guided them to a fourth place finish before suffering play-off heartbreak. This term has been more challenging for Carrick’s side who currently sit in 12th, four points behind the play-off places.

1. Steven Gerrard (Rangers, Aston Villa and Al-Ettifaq)

Steven Gerrard’s managerial reputation has taken a huge hit over the last 18 months, but his success as Rangers manager guarantees him top spot in this list.

Gerrard kicked off his managerial career with the Gers in 2018 and guided them to second place finishes in his first and second season. In his third campaign at Ibrox he guided the Glasgow giants to a record-breaking season as his side topped the table with 102 points without losing a single game and only conceding 13 goals from 38 games.

This performance earned him a move to the Premier League with Aston Villa where he managed just 13 wins in 40 matches before being dismissed.

Gerrard’s latest venture takes him to Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ettifaq although he is currently struggling to find form with the Dammam outfit.